Running on Empty
by Dana1
Summary: *CHAPTER 6 is FINALLY UP! The team is invited to Canada for an invitational. And it is starting to look like the Junior Goodwill Games again
1. Just a Cold

Title: Running on Empty  
  
Author: Dana  
  
Rating: G  
  
Warnings: None really.  
  
Summary: The team is invited to Canada for an invitational. And it is starting to look like the Junior Goodwill Games again  
  
Time frame: A year after D2 (So in other words it falls between D2 and D3).  
  
Disclaimer: Disney owns the Mighty Ducks and all associated characters. I claim everyone else.  
  
Author's note: I don't know anything about hockey. I'm using some things I've noticed from the movies. I used this in an A-Team fic called Emails but this seems to work better for a Duck then a thirty something year old man.  
  
Just a Cold  
  
There was a sharp knocking on the door. "Adam? Are you awake? Don't you have hockey practice today?" Sharon Banks asked.  
  
Adam Banks took his pillow and covered his face with it hoping to block out the sun. Of all days, Coach Bombay had to pick today to have practice. He hadn't gotten over the cold he'd had for the past month or so. He'd been so tired lately. He pulled himself out of bed and changed.  
  
His mother gave him a ride to the rink. All of the other Ducks were already in the locker room when he got there. There were only eight of them there. The others were in their own states. He changed and they all headed for the ice.  
  
"I have good news." Coach Bombay started. "I received a phone call from the Junior Goodwill Games commission. They have arranged a four team invitational tournament to be held in Calgary Alberta Canada. They've invited Canada, Russia, Iceland, and us. They are hoping if this goes well they can start it's own junior international hockey league. It starts in two weeks. I know that doesn't give us much time but I think we'll be ready. I have already called the other Ducks. They'll be here tomorrow. We'll train here a week and then go to Calgary to train for another week. So let's go Ducks. Twenty laps."  
  
Adam lagged behind. He was usually at the front of the group. "Banks pick up the speed!" Bombay yelled.  
  
Adam went faster. By the time he was done with the laps, he was exhausted. Bombay looked at him with concern. "Banks you okay?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah just have a cold." Adam said.  
  
Bombay nodded. "Well the practice won't be too hard today. Okay guys climb the ladder. Count off."  
  
Adam ended up third. Charlie and Jesse went before him. When he went he shot a weak shot that Goldberg was able to block easily.  
  
Bombay was now more then a little concerned. He was worried. His best scorer was really lagging today. He didn't do a scrimmage. He ended practice early. "The others will be here tomorrow so we'll have the next practice the day after. I recommend you to get some rest. We have some hard practices going to happen in the next two weeks. See you Wednesday."  
  
Adam walked slowly back to the locker room. He was so tired. He'd never been so tired after a hockey practice. He was even more tired then he had been when Bombay was acting like Captain Blood. He took a seat at his locker and drank some water out of his sports bottle.  
  
"You okay?" Jesse asked from the bench next to him.  
  
"Yeah. Have a cold but other then that I'm okay." Adam lied. He didn't want to tell anyone just how exhausted he was.  
  
When he got home later from practice, he immediately went to his room to lay down. He fell asleep immediately.  
  
He only woke up when his sister, Christina, knocked on the door. "Adam are you asleep? Dinner's ready."  
  
"I'll be right there." He called getting up and walked down stairs. There sat his parents and eighteen year old brother Jeffrey.  
  
"Glad you could join us Adam." Philip Banks said. "How was practice?"  
  
"It was good. We've been invited to an invitational in Canada."  
  
"Well that should be good. When is it?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"In two weeks." Adam answered pushing his food around. He wasn't hungry.  
  
"That's not much time." Christina said.  
  
"But it'll be a good experience for you." Their father interjected.  
  
Sharon Banks just stared at her youngest son silently. "I don't know if you should go Adam."  
  
"What why?" Adam asked.  
  
"Adam all you've done this last week was sleep or go to an occasional hockey practice. You are obviously coming down with something and shouldn't be going." Sharon explained.  
  
"It's just a cold mom. I'll be fine." Adam interjected.  
  
"Yes Sharon. A cold never hurt anybody. I think he should go." Philip said.  
  
"Of course you do. Its hockey right? Well we'll see how you are feeling in two weeks." Sharon said. The subject was closed. 


	2. The Decision

The Decision  
  
The next day Adam decided to spend the whole day in bed. He was determined to play in the invitational. If he slept all day maybe he'd be re- energized.  
  
Wednesday when dam showed up at practice Portman, Julie, Kenny, Russ, Dwayne and Luis were already there in uniform. The others hadn't arrived yet. Bombay was on the phone in his office. Adam greeted the Ducks he hadn't seen in almost a year. The others staggered in before Bombay came out of his office.  
  
"Okay time for practice." Bombay said. "Twenty laps."  
  
Adam did his laps and wasn't in last place, but he wasn't even close to first place either. They went through all the drills and scrimmaged. Bombay threw in some fun drills also. Adam walked back to his locker exhausted. He drank his water and slowly changed.  
  
Practice went the same way until Friday. They were taking a plane to Calgary Sunday. Adam was beyond exhausted when Bombay called him aside.  
  
"Adam I want you to see your doctor today. You need to be checked out. You just don't seem to have the energy to be able to play in the invitational."  
  
"Coach I'm fine. It's just a cold."  
  
"I'd feel better if you saw a doctor."  
  
"Okay coach." Adam said and headed for the locker room. He had no intention of going to the doctor but he wasn't going to tell Bombay that.  
  
***  
  
That night the Banks family sat down for dinner. "When does your flight leave?" Christina asked.  
  
"Two." Adam answered.  
  
Sharon looked him over. "Adam I want a truthful answer. How do you feel."  
  
"Tired." Adam admitted. "But I can handle the invitational. It's only two games. We played more then that at the Junior Goodwill Games."  
  
"I just don't know about you playing. You look so tired and you don't eat much." Sharon said with a sigh. "I just hope you don't have some illness that isn't a cold."  
  
"It's a cold." Philip said.  
  
"And how would you know that Phil? You're a lawyer not a doctor." Sharon reminded him.  
  
"Mom I've played with a badly sprained wrist. This is nothing compared to that." Adam immediately regretted bringing that up.  
  
"If you remember correctly, you also hid that injury. If Bombay hadn't spotted it when he did your wrist could have been hurt a lot worse." Sharon sighed again. "All right you can go. But if you don't think you can play, don't. Tell your coach."  
  
"Thanks." Adam said with a smile. He forced himself to eat though he knew it would make him tired he even helped the housekeeper clear the table. This would be a good next couple of weeks.  
  
He just had to hide his exhaustion. 


	3. Welcome to Calgary

Notes: I've never been to Calgary. But I've been to Toronto, British Columbia (Several places in BC that is) and Niagara Falls. I should have had the tourney take place in Toronto. The Hockey Hall of Fame is there! Also, see D2 Book for explanation on Tibbles firing.  
  
Welcome to Calgary  
  
Sunday finally came. Adam sat in the window seat. Jesse was next to him and some woman was sitting in the aisle seat. Fulton, Portman, and Goldberg were in the row in front of them. Charlie, Russ and Averman were across from them. Adam had a pillow and was sleeping. Jesse and most of the other Ducks were watching the movie.  
  
Turbulence jolted Adam awake. Adam looked at his watch. They still had an hour left in the flight. He tried to stretch his long legs out and accidentally kicked Goldberg's seat. "Sorry."  
  
He took a drink from his 7-Up and then re-arranged his pillow and fell back to sleep.  
  
He didn't even notice Jesse staring at him.  
  
***  
  
"Banks wake up we are here." Adam heard Jesse say, as he was shaken awake. He hadn't even noticed Jesse pushing his seat in an upright position. He noticed the plane was empty. "Sorry you looked tired. The others are waiting."  
  
"Thanks Jesse." Adam said grabbing his backpack from underneath the seat in front of him. They found the others waiting outside the gate. "Sorry." He told the others.  
  
"Team USA?" A young man in his early twenties came up to them.  
  
"That's us." Bombay said.  
  
"Hello I'm Kevin Patterson an official for the Canadian Invitational. They asked me to pick you up. Let's go get your luggage. The other team that I'm picking up is already there." He led them down to the luggage carousel.  
  
When they got down there, they found Team Iceland sitting in chairs waiting. They chose to ignore them as they grabbed their luggage. Adam was glad he kept his Team USA hockey bag. He had that and another duffel bag. It made packing easier. There was a bus waiting for them.  
  
"Oh Gordon! I'm glad I got here in time." A voice called. They turned around and saw Don Tibbles.  
  
"Tibbles." Bombay said hugging him. "I didn't know you were going to be here."  
  
"After Hendrix fired me, I got a job with CCM. They are a sponsor of the Canadian Invitational."  
  
"Good to see you." Everyone loaded onto the bus. Tibbles got into his car.  
  
Gunnar Stahl and Olaf Sanderson sat behind Jesse and Adam and held a conversation in their native tongue. Adam talked to Jesse, Fulton, and Portman. Fulton and Portman were in the seats across from them.  
  
The two opposing teams tried to ignore each other as they were taken to University of Calgary where they'd all be staying for the next couple of weeks. When they got there, they were glad to be able to stretch their legs. The room arrangements were different then they were at the Junior Goodwill Games. It was Adam and Jesse, Russ and Luis, Charlie and Guy, the Bash Brothers, Dwayne and Kenny, Goldberg and Averman, and Connie and Julie.  
  
"Russ I need to talk to you for a few minutes. The rest of you get some rest. We have practice tomorrow." Bombay said. Russ walked out with Bombay.  
  
"I wonder what that's about." Adam said as he and Jesse started to unpack.  
  
"Who knows." Jesse said.  
  
They found out a few minutes later when Russ came in with Luis, Charlie, and Guy. "Guess what? Coach told me I'm an alternate."  
  
"Alternate why?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Thirteen player teams not fourteen." Russ said. "He decided that since I was the last one to join the team I was going to be an alternate."  
  
"I'm sorry." Jesse said. Adam nodded.  
  
"Well if one of you gets hurt I get to play." Russ said with a grin.  
  
"Stay away from Banks then. You know he has bad luck during games." Charlie said.  
  
Adam just smacked him with a pillow. Before they knew it, there was a pillow fight, which did nothing for Adam's exhaustion. 


	4. It All Comes Tumbling Down

Notes: This takes place eight days after the last chapter. Short chapter so sue me. But please don't. I'm a poor college student with a muse that's mean to characters. Take him! I know absolutely nothing about hockey.  
  
It All Comes Tumbling Down  
  
Adam got out of bed. Everything hurt. His head hurt. His throat hurt. He was dizzy. And he was tired. He looked in the mirror and noticed he was pale. He was sweating. This was the worst he'd felt. But he couldn't tell the coach. He'd had this problem the last few days but he was able to hide them. Besides, he had to play. It was the first game in the two round tournament. They were playing Russia. They arranged it so that if Iceland and USA won their games they'd play each other in the finals.  
  
He changed. Jesse was asleep. It took a lot of energy to put on shorts and a T-shirt. He sat back down for a few minutes.  
  
Jesse was looking at him. "You okay?" He got out of bed and got dressed.  
  
"Yeah fine. We gotta meet the others for breakfast."  
  
"You don't look well at all." Jesse said.  
  
"I'm fine." Adam said hoping to drop the subject. "Come on. Let's get to breakfast." He wasn't hungry he was just hoping to get out of there.  
  
They walked down to the dining hall and found the rest of the Ducks there. Coach Bombay wasn't there yet. Adam got some cereal and just moved it around with his spoon.  
  
They were chatting away about the game with Russia that was in a few hours. Bombay came up to the table. "You guys almost done eating?" Adam pushed his untouched bowl of cereal away from him and nodded along with everyone else. "Good. We've got warm ups in an hour." He said and walked away.  
  
Adam sighed as he took a sip from his orange juice. It hurt to swallow. He tried not to let his grimace show. The others talked and joked until Charlie pointed they had to get their stuff or they'd be late for warm ups.  
  
***  
  
Adam took the opening face off. He was glad that the coach hadn't benched him this game. The puck dropped and he passed it to Jesse, who was on right wing, right, before the Russian center shoved him to the ice. He jumped up and skated towards the goal. Jesse passed the puck to Guy and he scored.  
  
Jesse took the face off this time and Adam took his position on right wing. Charlie replaced Guy.  
  
They continued playing this way. Not allowing Russia to score. Towards the end of the first period Adam was back on the ice and had passed it to Fulton. Adam stopped for a second. There was a sharp pain in his upper abdomen. One of the Russians saw him just standing there and checked him hard onto the ice. Adam ignored the sharp pain in his abdomen and got back up. He started to go after the Russian when everything got hazy.  
  
The next thing he knew was the ice was rushing up to catch him.  
  
***  
  
Notes: My muse doesn't know how to play nice. I've got to do some more research before I post chapter 5. 


	5. The News

Notes: Um I'm breaking a fiction rule by switching perspectives. Don't mind me. I know I did it. So, forgive me. This overlaps somewhat with the last chapter. I'm playing hockey rules by ear. Anyone knows how to correct it let me know. I did an Internet search for the hospital name and the college. Gotta love the Internet. I did quite a bit of research on this. So I hope it's accurate enough.  
  
The News  
  
Jesse was sitting on the bench with the others. The coach had been standing in his way. He heard the coach yelling time out. Bombay ran to the door that led to the ice. Now Jesse could see what was going on. He saw Adam sprawled out on the ice not moving. He wanted to get out onto that ice. "What happened? Someone check him?" He asked Averman who was next to him.  
  
"He just collapsed." Averman said. "No one touched him he just collapsed."  
  
Jesse wanted to go out onto the ice to check his friend but by the rules, he couldn't. He watched, as Adam was loaded onto a stretcher.  
  
Bombay was talking to the medics. Tibbles was signaling him to come over. They had a quick conversation and Bombay returned to the team. Tibbles followed Adam's stretcher.  
  
"What's going on coach? Is Banks okay?" They all asked at once.  
  
"They don't know but they are taking him to the Foothills Hospital. Tibbles went with him." Bombay informed them. "Come on guys. We've still got two periods left. Jesse you're on."  
  
Jesse skated onto the ice, looked for the Russian he had seen knock Adam down several times during the game, and checked him hard into the boards. Then went after the puck. Just as he was about to score the Russian, he had knocked down, hooked him from behind. He went sailing towards the goal as the buzzer rang. He ended up in the net. He got to his feet and went back to the bench for the in between periods talk from the coach.  
  
Jesse sat out the start of the second period. He got a lecture from Bombay about keeping his temper in check. The Russian was in the penalty box because of the hook.  
  
Bombay's cellphone started to ring. He answered it. "Hello? Uh huh. Will he be okay? Did you call his parents? Okay we'll be there when the game is over. Thanks again Tibbles." Bombay hit end and put his phone away. "Line change." He yelled before anyone could ask him a question. Jesse was back out onto the ice.  
  
Finally, the game was over. They won five to one. "What's going on Coach?" Charlie asked as soon as they were back in the locker room. "How's Banks?"  
  
"I got a phone call from Tibbles. It seems Adam has mononucleosis. Normally that wouldn't be anything terrible. He would have just needed bed rest. However, he has suffered a complication. He ruptured his spleen. He's in surgery right now." 


	6. Getting There is the Challenge

Notes: Yep I'm still breaking that rule. Hope you don't mind too much. This takes place in Edina Minnesota ;). This takes place in the same time frame as the past two chapters. One of my favorite books is Shannon Miller My Child My Hero by Claudia Miller. There was an interesting section in it about how they had trouble with all their flights to Barcelona Spain. It's an inspiration for this chapter. One last thing this takes place in 1993 so the security is not what it is today. Heck I remember running through the San Francisco airport a few years ago hoping to catch my plane before it left. Course it being summer in San Francisco the plane wasn't ready to leave anyway.  
  
Getting There is the Challenge  
  
Christina flipped on the TV to the hockey game. She wasn't a hockey fan but she was curious about the score. The score was four to one. She started to turn it off when one of the announcers said something that caught her attention. "Still no information on Banks."  
  
"What?!" Christina yelled.   
  
The housekeeper came into the room. "What's the matter Christina?"   
  
"I don't know!" She said hurrying to turn up the volume of the TV. There was no mention of anything happening.   
  
The phone was ringing and Martha went to answer it. "Banks residence. No Mr. and Mrs. Banks are not here. Oh my. Is he all right? Have the doctor call Mr. Banks at 952-555-5201. Goodbye."  
  
"Martha who was that? Is something wrong with Adam? Did he hurt his wrist again?" Christina asked in rapid-fire fashion.  
  
"That was a Don Tibbles calling from Foothills Hospital in Calgary Alberta Canada. Yes something is wrong with Adam and no it's not his wrist. He has mono."  
  
"I had that a couple years ago. I just spent a few weeks in bed. Why is he at a hospital?"  
  
"It seems he took a lot of hard checks and ended up rupturing his spleen. The doctor has to get your parents permission to operate that's why Tibbles called here."   
  
The telephone started ringing. Christina grabbed it. "Hello?"  
  
'Christina? This is your father. Pack some things in a suitcase. We are going to fly to Calgary. Your mother and I will be there in ten minutes. Ask Martha to pack some things for your mother and I please.' He said and hung up.  
  
Christina hung up. "My dad wants you to pack some things for him and mom. You know where Jeffrey is?"   
  
"He went out to a late lunch with some of his Fraternity brothers I think." Martha answered as she went upstairs. "He may have his cell with him."  
  
Christina dialed the numbers. It was busy. She went upstairs and started throwing things in her duffel then tried again. 'Hello?'  
  
"Jeffrey? It's Chris. Did mom or dad get a hold of you?"  
  
'Yeah I just got off the phone with dad. I'm on the way home. I'll be there in ten minutes.' He hung up.  
  
Christina continued putting things in her duffel. She threw in a book for the plane. She went into Adam's room and grabbed his Discman for him. She figured he'd want something to do in the hospital. She grabbed a handful of CDs. By the time, she packed a bag for him her parents and brother were home.  
  
Jeffrey ran upstairs to pack and they hurried to Phil's car. It felt, to the worried family, that they'd never get to the airport.   
  
When they got there Sharon ran to the United counter. "When does your next plane to Calgary leave?" She asked the young woman at the desk.  
  
"In forty minutes. It has a layover in Denver." She said looking up from her screen.  
  
"I'd like to buy four tickets. Any class is fine."  
  
"We've only got two seats in coach left."  
  
"Look this is an emergency. My thirteen-year-old son is in a Calgary hospital about to have an operation. We need to get there."  
  
She was typing in at her computer. "Well Mrs..."  
  
"Sharon Banks."  
  
"Mrs. Banks let me call and let them know. Maybe they can bump two people. Any class you said?"  
  
"Yes." She said handing her, her credit card.   
  
The attendant dialed a number on the telephone, explained that there was an emergency, and asked if they could try to bump two people from any class. Then hung up. "It'll be a few minutes." She said. "Why don't you step aside so I can assist someone else until then."  
  
After six minutes, the phone finally rang. "Hello? Oh hi Rick. Good. They'll be happy to know. Thanks." The attendant said. She looked at the faces of the anxious Banks family. "There are two coach tickets waiting for you at gate 21A." She said smiling at them.  
  
"Thank you!" She said. "We'll carry our bags on the plane. Thanks again." She said taking the papers the attendant gave her.  
  
They ran to the gate and took their tickets. They boarded. They all sat in different seats. After twenty minutes, the plane still wasn't taking off. Sharon looked at her watch. They still had five minutes before it was scheduled to leave. But their layover in Denver was only a little more then an hour.   
  
After fifteen more minutes, the plane still wasn't moving. Sharon reached up and hit the call button. One of the stewards came up to her. "Yes?"  
  
"What's going on?" Sharon asked.  
  
"They are still loading luggage ma'am. We should be leaving in a few minutes." He said and walked away.   
  
Ten minutes later the plane finally taxied and took off. Then it circled in the air for awhile. By the time the plane landed in Denver the Banks had to run to the next gate afraid it was going to be gone.  
  
When they got there, it was indeed gone. It hadn't taken off yet and it wasn't at the gate either. They had to wait another hour before their plane took off. Then when they arrived in Calgary they were stuck in a traffic jam.  
  
It seemed everything was against getting the Banks to Adam. 


End file.
